


I'd Settle for Just One

by stateofevans



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-25 04:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16654021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stateofevans/pseuds/stateofevans
Summary: Steve always wanted Bucky.





	I'd Settle for Just One

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on the line from Captain America: the First Avenger, when Steve not so subtly stared at Bucky and tells Bucky that he'd settle for just one person.

Steve was friends with one of the most attractive bachelors in all of Brooklyn and sometimes it was a problem for Steve. He didn’t mind most of the time, but tonight, Bucky’s last night, Steve wanted nothing more than to just be with Bucky.   
“Stevie, we’re gonna be late.” Steve sighed, looking at his reflection in his dirty mirror. “Steve!”  
“I’m comin’, give me a sec!” Steve fixed his hair, knowing very well that the girl that Bucky had set to spend the night with Steve was going to ditch him, Steve was used to it. As Steve left his room, he saw Bucky leaning against the counter, suit on and arms crossed. Steve thought Bucky was never more beautiful than in his military uniform in the crappy lighting of their house.   
“Ready?”  
“I guess so.” Bucky smiled, ruffling Steve’s hair as his arm went around Steve’s shoulders.   
“You’ll have fun, promise.”   
~~  
“I don’t see what the problem is. You’re about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know, there’s three and a half million women here.” Steve looked at Bucky, noting just how beautiful Bucky was. Steve knew it was wrong, he knew just how much trouble he could be in if anyone, including his best friend, found out about just how much Steve thinks about his best friend.  
“Well, I’d settle for just one,” Steve states, all the while staring at Bucky.   
“Hey Bucky!” Steve’s eyes moved from Bucky to a girl who was waving at Bucky, her friend definitely sizing Steve up.   
“What did you tell her about me?” Steve flattened his hair and fixed his tie, not even knowing why he was bothering. He knew that the girl was definitely never going to chose the small man over his bigger, buffer, best friend.   
“Only the good stuff.” As Bucky walked faster towards the girl, Steve rolled his eyes, fixing his hair again and catching up. He was doing this for Bucky. He’d do anything for Bucky, even if it meant watching Bucky fall in love with a girl that could treat him right.   
~~  
“The 107th?” Peggy frowned, looking at Steve’s now worried face. Steve remembered Bucky’s regiment. It was the only thing that haunted Steve’s dreams, or nightmares. Bucky dying in some gruesome way with the rest of the 107th.   
“What?”   
“Come on!” Steve ran towards the general’s tent, terrified for his best friend. The time that Bucky was away was one of the hardest things Steve had to go through. “Colonel Phillips.”  
“Well, if it isn’t the Star Spangled Man with a Plan. And what is your plan today?”   
“I need your casualty list from Azzano.” Steve’s heart was racing too fast. He was going to be thrown into a panic attack if he didn’t hear about Bucky. He needed to know.   
“You don’t get to give me order’s, Son.”   
“I just need one name, Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh.” The colonel looked from Steve to Peggy, telling her that they would have to talk. “Please tell me if he’s alive, Sir. B-A-R…”  
“I can spell. I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I’m sorry.” Steve’s heart stopped. Bucky was dead. James Buchanan Barnes, Steve’s best friend, was dead. The only person Steve has ever loved was dead and Steve’s last words to him was fucking jerk. Steve was alone in a cruel world.   
He immediately asked about the captives and made it his duty to bring them back because as much as he was told that Bucky was dead, Steve didn’t really believe it. Maybe this was his way of dealing with his grief, but he had to see for himself.  
~~  
As Steve unlocked the cell, the soldier’s poured out, looking at Steve in confusion. Steve knew that they knew he wasn’t Hydra, but these men probably didn’t even know Captain America from the comics. Lord knows how long they had been held captive.  
“Is there anybody else? I’m looking for a Sergeant James Barnes.”  
“There’s an isolation ward in the factory, but no one’s ever come back from it.” Steve nodded, looking at the way they pointed.   
“All right. The tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out face and give ‘em hell. I’ll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find.” Steve turned towards the way the soldier pointed, stopping once he heard a voice.  
“Wait! You know what you’re doin’?”  
“Yeah. I’ve knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times.” Shrugging, Steve turned the other way and headed towards the isolation ward. He had hope Bucky was alive.   
~~  
“Bucky? Oh my god.” Steve looked at Bucky, ripping the straps away from Bucky. He was alive and Steve was ecstatic, but he had to get Bucky safe. He could celebrate later. He didn’t need to die here and he didn’t need Bucky dying here either.   
“Is that..” Steve stopped, placing both hands on Bucky’s shoulders, making sure Bucky could see his face.   
“It’s me. It’s Steve.” He got Bucky off the operation table, Bucky almost collapsing. As he righted himself, Steve looking back, feeling Bucky’s eyes stay on him. Steve risked putting his hand on the side of Bucky’s neck, just for a second, before moving away.   
“Steve?”  
“Come on.”  
“Steve.” Bucky almost breathed out Steve’s name, chills going down Steve’s neck. Bucky’s weight was almost completely on Steve, but the Captain didn’t mind. Bucky was always there for Steve, it was Steve’s turn to take care of Bucky.  
“I thought you were dead.” It hurt just to say that for Steve.   
“I thought you were smaller.” Steve smiled a bit. Bucky was going to be okay.   
~~  
Steve watched as Bucky walked across the truss. As soon as Bucky was lunging across, Steve knew he would have to stay behind.   
“There’s gotta be a rope or something!” Steve just shook his head.   
“Just go! Get outta here!”   
“No not without you!” Bucky wasn’t sure where that came from, but he wasn’t going to leave Steve in a burning building, no matter how big he was. Bucky was terrified of losing Steve, he just didn’t know how much.   
~~  
“Steve?” Steve looked up from his cot, seeing Bucky in his view, finally healed.   
“Hey, Bucky.”   
“Uh, I guess I should be thanking you. Y’know, for saving my life.”  
“Oh, I thought it was time I’d pay you back. You always saved my ass back in Brooklyn.”  
“You didn’t have to. I was so close to death in the iso room, you could’ve left me.”   
“No, I couldn’t. You’re my one.” Steve regretted it as soon as he said it.   
“What?” Bucky’s heart skipped a beat and there was a warm feeling in his stomach, but he chose to ignore it. He wanted to hear what Steve said.Steve shook his head.   
“Nothing.”  
“No, what did you mean?”  
“Nothing, Buck, just let it go.”  
“No, you always do that, Steve, I’m worried ‘bout you.” Steve sighed as Bucky was looking at the soldier. Something about Steve’s demeanor was worrying Bucky. Steve looked like he was folding into himself, trying to disappear.   
“You told me that there were three and a half women in New York. I said I only wanted one. You’re my one, Buck, and I know it’s wrong, God, do I know how wrong it is, but I can’t help it.” Bucky was speechless and Steve was hopeless. Bucky wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know whether to spill the truth or tell Steve what he wants to hear. Either way, Bucky and Steve couldn’t. “We can just forget this happened. I was pretending it didn’t exist for the longest of time, we can go back to that.”   
“That would probably be best.” Steve pretending that didn’t hurt as much as it actually did. Bucky walking out knowing that it hurt Steve, but Bucky was protecting Steve.   
~~  
Bucky fought by Steve’s side, still protecting him. Steve noticed that Bucky was always having his scope on him, none of the other Howling Commandos. Steve told himself not to think about that too much, but he did and it made his heart soared even if Bucky was just protecting him as a best friend.  
Bucky knew he was being obvious. He was only ever protecting Steve, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t let Steve die. Dugan made sure to tell Bucky that he wasn’t so sly as the sniper thought. Bucky always just said Steve was like his brother.   
~~  
It was Bucky’s idea to ask Peggy for the photo. Bucky was talking about some girl back at home sending Bucky a photograph and Steve mentioned Peggy in passing and now Agent Carter was on the face of Steve Rogers’ pocket watch. Bucky told Steve he should as Peggy for a photo, so if he died in action they knew who to tell. Steve wanted Bucky’s instead.   
~~  
“No!” Steve reached out for his falling best friend, knowing there wasn’t anything he could do. As he watched Bucky fall, Steve felt his heart fall too. Steve just lost the love of his life, for a second time.   
~~  
“I’m not going to fight you.” Steve dropped his shield, watching it fall through an opening in the Helicarrier. Bucky looking at him blankly. Steve knew that Bucky could very well kill him, he knew that Sam, Nat, and Fury were flying around the last flying Helicarrier looking for Steve, but Steve was only thinking of Bucky. His thoughts were always Bucky. “You’re my friend.” Steve let Bucky lunge towards him, making Steve fall on his back, head hitting the hard glass of the Helicarrier, as Bucky’s metal fist kept hitting Steve’s jaw.   
“You’re. My. Mission!”   
“Then finish it. Cause I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.” Bucky stopped hitting Steve and Steve knew that he got to through Bucky’s brainwash. Steve was always Bucky’s and Bucky was always Steve’s.He felt himself slip away from Bucky and he blacked out before anything else.   
~~  
“I don’t know if I’m worth all this, Steve.” Steve would’ve stopped the plane if he could. But Steve settled for a glance back.   
“What you did all those years… It wasn’t you. You didn’t have a choice.”   
“I know, but I did it.” Steve wanted nothing more than to hug Bucky and tell him that it wasn’t him. No one blamed Bucky.   
~~  
“I can’t trust my own mind. So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head I think going back under is the best thing...for everybody.”   
“Not me.” Steve looked at his feet, not wanting to start an argument with Bucky, especially right now.  
“I know, Stevie,” Bucky grabbed Steve’s hand, the blonde looking up from the ground, looking at his best friend. It was the first time he really looked at Bucky since World War II and Steve thought Bucky was even more beautiful than he had been, if that was possible, “but I know when I wake up you’ll be right there for me. Maybe we can figure this out after that.”   
“What?”  
“The whole ‘you’re my one’ thing, we’ll figure it out when I wake up again, because I definitely think you’re my one. No, I know you’re my one and I’m not scared anymore.” Steve’s heart actually soared. Bucky loved him back.   
“Are you sure?” Bucky smiled, seeing the small boy from Brooklyn coming back as Steve was showing his anxious side again.   
“Never been so sure of something in my life.” Steve smiled, running his thumb over the back of Bucky’s hand.   
“Okay. We’ll figure this out.” Steve nodded, smiling at the soldier. “Rest first, though; I’ve got some people to get.”   
“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” Steve smiled at Bucky, remembering Bucky’s last night in Brooklyn.   
“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”   
~~  
“Now that we’re alone, how’ve you really been, Buck?” Bucky sighed, looking at his brand new, vibranium arm.   
“I just want to stop this, Steve, I was drafted in a fight and I have a feeling I’m gonna die fighting. I wanted rest, and I got it, but I don’t want to go back. T’challa said you needed my help, though, and I’m never going to say no to you.” Steve felt elated inside, but he frowned.   
“Buck, you don’t ever have to fight by my side if you don’t want to. You can stay on that farm a little ways away from the city. I’ll come get you when it’s over and Thanos isn’t terrorizing Earth anymore.”   
“We all know what will happen if I don’t have your back.” Bucky smiled at Steve. Steve looked at their hands, close enough to touch, but not yet touching. Steve wanted to grab Bucky’s hand, but he didn’t want to scare Bucky away. “You wanna know something cool?”  
“Hm?” Steve was still looking at their hands so he couldn’t see the small smile that Bucky had on his face, one Steve would recognize as trouble.  
“Shuri’s so smart that she found a way to bring my sense of touch back into my arm, so, if I do this,” Bucky grabbed Steve’s hand with his bionic arm, Steve finally glancing up, “I can feel you. I can also tell you that you have the worst calluses, even with those pointless gloves.” Steve snorted, untwining their hands and taking the glove off, taking Bucky’s hand again. “Much better, yeah?” Steve didn’t do anything but nod. “You wanna hear another thing.”   
“What,” Steve wanted to sound small, but when he spoke, the words weren’t much louder than a whisper.   
“I haven’t felt much since the train. The last thing I felt was metal.”   
“Buck,” Steve wanted to say more, but was stopped short when he felt Bucky’s cold hand running up his suit. “Bucky.”  
“Don’t worry, Shuri told people not to come in.”   
“Bucky!” Bucky smiled.   
“Get your mind outta the gutter. I told her that I wanted time to talk to you.”  
“We don’t have much time.”   
“I know, just let me soak this up. Let me soak you up before I risk my life for you.” Steve didn’t speak, just let Bucky basically feel him up. When Bucky got to Steve’s face, he smiled, touching Steve’s beard gently. “I like it. Suits you.”  
“Thanks.” Bucky’s hand moved to Steve’s lips, tracking the blonde’s outline, Steve’s breath was shaking. He was trying to control himself, but Bucky was testing Steve.   
“Jesus, I wanna kiss you.” Steve’s breath caught in his throat as he heard those words leave Bucky’s mouth and the mental hand went into Steve’s hair. “‘Nd you probably want it more than me.”   
“God, Bucky you ha-” Steve was cut off by Bucky’s lips hitting Steve’s. One of Steve’s arms went around Bucky’s waist, pulling their bodies together as Steve’s other hand went to Bucky’s cheek, gently caress Bucky’s face. Bucky’s mental hand was still in Steve’s hair while his other, his actual arm, went around Steve’s neck, pulling the slightly taller soldier down a bit.   
“Captain Rogers? Sergeant Ba-oh!” The soldiers pulled away as Shuri opened the door. Steve tried to pull away, but Bucky’s arm was still around him and if Bucky was okay with this, Steve wasn’t going to argue. “Sorry.”  
“No, it’s okay, what’s up?”  
“We need a plan.” Steve nodded, pulling away from Bucky, trying to follow Shuri out of the room, but Bucky grabbed Steve’s hand, stopping the Captain.   
“You okay, Buck?” Bucky smiled, loving how concerned Steve was still.   
“Never been better. I just, if one of us die out there, I want you dyin’ knowing that you’re my one too. I’d settle for one. You’re the one I’d settle for, Stevie. Whatever you want, I’m with you, okay? You always have been, I think, I just didn’t know it until I want falling off the train and realized that if your face was the last one I saw, I was okay with that.   
“God, Buck,” Steve pulled Bucky to his body again, hugging the brunette tightly. “We aren’t dying out there, not if we have each other’s back, but you’re my one too. Always have been, always will be. ‘Til the end of the line, yeah?”  
“Yeah. ‘Til the end of the line.”  
~~  
Steve, as he saw Thor alone, axe on the ground, knew something was wrong.   
“Where’d he go?”   
“Steve?” Steve’s head snapped towards Bucky’s voice, the blonde seeing the man he had loved for seventy years, Bucky looking at Steve before collapsing, body turning to dust, his gun falling. Steve dropped his shield, walking to where Bucky was. Steve knelt down, feeling his heart sink as he touched the dust. He lost Bucky again. And this time, Bucky turning to dust felt final. Steve just lost for the one he’d settle for.   
Steve was alone and he was alone for good this time. No resurrecting of James Buchanan Barnes


End file.
